Lyman 450 problem

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I was going to recommend, what Brad did.

However, RCBS's lube sizer's solid base, doesn't suffer from that issue...............and it takes the same dies as the Lyman.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Dies are the issue, not the lubrisizer. How many dies does Waco already have that couldn't be used with the Star? My recommendation would also be the Star, however if he needed only 10 dies at Star's price of $52.50 each that's $550 in just dies plus the $338 for the Star itself. $863. If he buys the SAECO I'm selling for $750 with all the dies, top punches and Keith conversion he can also use all the dies he already has.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I got some thick (3/32") cork-composition automotive gasket material from NAPA Auto Parts and cut it to fit the area where the bench edge and the 4500's base meet. I bolted the 4500 down as usual and get no leaks.

I quit using the 1/8" hex ratchet for applying pressure to the lube column, and use a 1/8" box-end wrench in its place. After applying pressure with each sizing cycle, I back the pressure off 1/4 turn or so. This takes no more time to do than the usual motions used to size and lube bullets in this system. Relieve the pressure = relieve the leakage.

Make a habit of backing off the pressure screw/piston at the end of a sizing/lubing session, in order to provide expansion space for the lube when you begin again by turning on the heater. Bullet lubes expand significantly when warmed/heated.
 
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KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
I have a Word file that is too big to paste in here (5.74Mb) as an attachment. I ran in to the OPs problem and several others with my 450 and I totally rebuilt/remachined it to work properly. Would be glad to send it to anybody that would like to read it. If the site owners would be interested in putting it in the archive section I would be glad to contribute it to the site.

Here is a sample photo that shows how poorly the base plug was staked in and how un-flat the base is on the casting.

0104081522b.jpg
 

Maven

Well-Known Member
waco, I had the same problem with my #450, but found a simple cure as I lack Keith's machining skills. The late Ken Mollohan ("Molly") recommended inserting a sheet of tablet backing or shirt cardboard under the lube sizer, tracing its "footprint," poking holes for the retaining bolts, and then tightening it down. You next take a sharp utility knife and cut around that footprint. Voila! you now have a leakproof gasket. I did this years ago (after unsuccessfully monkeying with the #450's bottom) and never had another leak. Try it, as it takes less time to accomplish than writing about it.
 
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Intheshop

Banned
Tile shower, "pan" is a very HD rubber'ish membrane. Concrete gets poured on it. Go to home store and ask for a small pce. ..... they have it on long rolls,they'll give it to you.

Mine don't leak..... the oldest has a pce of 16oz copper under it,bent down 1/2" over the front of the bench...... copper gasket?
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
The big problem my 450 had seemed to come from the "pecker punching" the factory did in an attempt to make my sizer stop leaking at the factory. You can see the same thing in Keiths pic. I tapped, and I ground a lot of the deformation away with my Dremel, then I installed a slightly larger o-ring & tapped everything back into place. When I remounted the sizer I put a fairly thick washer under the the stem plate and bolted 'er down really good to my mounting board. It went for years without another leak. Then I bought a Star, and the problem went away forever...
 

L Ross

Well-Known Member
I used a small piece of gasket material for a while. I needed to push to centernof the base up so it sealed better so I use a thin piece of brass under that section. That was a temp fix.

The real fix is.....

View attachment 8054
One Star, two Star, three Star, four, found I didn't need my 450(s) no more.
 

Maven

Well-Known Member
waco, I had the same problem with my #450, but fixed it with a simple cardboard (tablet backing) gasket inserted under the base* and trimmed to fit. I posted a description of how I did it over on the Boolits site quite a few times if you want to try it. It was fast and 100% effective.

*This was the late Ken Mollohan's (Molly) idea/solution.
 

david s

Well-Known Member
Like CZ93X62 I've used cork. Mine wasn't gasket material but shelf lining for a bar. It came in a roll 10 or 12 inches wide by I forget how long not even a 16th thick. No issues since it was put in use.
 

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
day-um. And JUST wrote a check for a used 450... And THEN see THIS! Now following this in case I get bit!

But, as usual - you guys are the best! Thanx (in advance!)!
 

Todd M

Craftsman of metals...always learning.
I just used a piece of 4-5 oz leather cut to fit the footprint of my Lyman 45. I know I know it's not a 450, but surely it would work??
 
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waco

Springfield, Oregon
So the other day I found a large (3" or so ID) O-Ring at work that was right at .065" thickness. Brought it home and tore down the Lyman 450. Cut the O-Ring to size and attached the ends with a drop of Gorilla Glue and reassembled.
I also took the advice from you guys here and made a gasket from the back of a notebook tablet.
So far, so good. Thanks again for the help on this fix.
Walter.
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Good morning
I cut a chunk of car inner tube in a circle a bit wider in diameter than that offending circular leak point. Placed said rubber chunk under the 450 so it covered the place and cranked the bolts down onto the bench. Went from a leak to a mere seep that I only see when I unbolt the luber.

Are you using a heater ? Some of those "hard lubes" when cold require far more pressure to move than the 450 was designed for.